Glory Daze

I doubt the makers of the current Daredevil film took one look at Glory Daze and said, “We’ve got to have that guy.” Glory Daze is a mindless romp through the last weeks of a group of frat-like college students. If you’re interested in plots, solid acting, and quality cinematography, this really isn’t your film. If, however, a cheap imitation of Animal House sounds like a good way to spend an hour and a half, look no further.

Synopsis

Five college students who share a frat house-like home are looking at their final weeks together before graduation. When Jack (Affleck) decides he might not be ready to abandon the party days for the real world, the group decides to spend one more year together. Sooner or later they learn that you can’t go back, sometimes even before you ever left.

Audio

OK, something’s wrong here. The package claims there is a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio soundtrack. That is simply not true. I tried it on 3 players and there is only a Dolby Stereo 2.0 track. The track that is available is mediocre at best. The abrasive music is often troubled with high-end distortion. Dialogue, while mostly clean, does get lost at some points.

Video

This release gives you the option of a full screen or 1.85:1 wide screen format. Of course, I watched the wide screen. It is hard to separate problems with the transfer from what are apparently limitations in the original production. I found plenty of grain and film artifacts. The overall look and feel is that of the older 16mm films. Colors are fairly consistent but nothing spectacular. Blacks are pretty solid, but the grain ruins the overall depth.

Special Features

You’ll find only trailers and a very simple menu.

Final Thoughts

The only thing that keeps this film interesting is playing ‘future celebrity scavenger hunt’. This one was loaded with future big names in often small roles. Look for The Mummy’s Brendan Fraser, Lord Of The Rings’ John Rhys-Davies, The Bourne Identity’s Matt Damon, and Contact’s Mathew Mconaughey as a wicked used car salesman. Ben Affleck’s most recent role is the famous man with no fear. He should have been afraid of Glory Daze. “Angst for the memories.”